Marymount campaign encourages kindness

Marymount Academy students will spend the next few months reflecting on kindness.

All the students gathered in the gym March 27 view the documentary Finding Kind. Teacher Tammy Jutila introduced the film to the students with a very important message.

"It is a simple message really," Jutila said.

"You are not alone. Every single girl has encountered an experience at some point in their lives in which they become aggressors or victims of jealousy, rumours, name-calling, etc. Finding Kind is about recognizing this in all of us, and encouraging change - it starts with you."

As a follow up to the film, the students and staff took a pledge of their own, promising to be kind to others creating a more positive environment.

Later in the spring, the school will be creating a Finding Kind Club, open to all students so that anyone needing some support/advice etc. can talk to peer mentors and staff to help them with issues, as well as celebrate acts of kindness.

Teacher Lisa Levecque said another facet to this initiative is an exciting project that links back to the campaign - which will be a school film festival gala that will take place during Catholic Education Week (May 5-10).

Students will be encouraged to create their own videos that showcase documentaries, stories and reflections on kindness.

The project came about after several Marymount teachers applied for and received a grant from the Ministry of Education.

Their application focused on the problem of adolescent girls, and the growing levels of anxiety and depression in today's society.

Recognizing that this is a universal problem, these teachers felt that being in an all-girl school environment, it was a great opportunity to bring forward some solutions in their own school community.

One of the main ideas they landed on, is a campaign called Finding Kind, driven by two American students - Lauren Parsekian and Molly Thompson, who created a documentary as well as a non-profit organization.

According to its website, Finding Kind “is an internationally recognized movement and school program based upon the powerful belief in KINDness that brings awareness and healing to the negative and lasting effects of girl-against-girl 'crime.'”

"We thought this was a great tie-in project for the students," Levecque said.

"Right now, as we approach the end of the Lenten season, we thought what a great opportunity to focus on our Catholic values, and the simple idea of being kind. With the use of technology, students will be creating very powerful and compelling movies that will positively impact each other, as well as create a healthier school environment."